The Light in the Darkness
by HodoLao
Summary: A Clone-Wars era serial story for your enjoyment.  So, enjoy!


Chapter 1

_Kamino – Landing Platform 327  
_

Master Hodo'Lao stood in the torrential rain reporting to Jedi master Plo Koon, who was in aerial combat himself at the moment. Master Lao reported that the threat from the Trade Federation to attack the repository of clone troopers had been a feint.

"I have seen no activity other than several cruisers in high orbit above the planet. They have not deployed the first drop-ship or fighter into the atmosphere around Kamino at any point. Do things go well for you, Master Koon?" Master Lao asked, shielding the rain from his hooded visage.

"The fighting here on Cato Neimoidia has intensified but I've just received backup from several more drop-ships coming down from a new cruiser. It seems that we are making slow but steady progress against the Federation, they are in a slow retreat, but the aerial combat is still very furious at this point." The masked Jedi Master replied.

"Should I relay this information back to Coruscant?" Master Lao inquired.

"I'm sure that the rest fo the council would appreciate an update and appraisal of the situation, so yes, please do. Also, see if you can…" Master Koon's attention was diverted suddenly. "Master Lao, be on guard, I'm being targeted by…" and the connection was severed and the holo disappeared.

Master Lao began to contemplate if Master Koon had been shot down when the smell of burned flesh and the flash of light that filled his senses distracted him from his thought. He looked down to see a seared spot in his tunic through the middle of his chest. He slowly turned, falling to one knee as he did to see two clone trooper captains focused on him, their weapons still drawn. He realized that the troopers didn't take into account his alien physiology, but giving to the force, slowly collapsed to the ground and entered a deep Jedi trance, slowing his heart to almost nothing, his breathing negligible, and all movement ceased.

The trooper captains walked over to the fallen Jedi. One of them knelt and scanned the fallen master with a med unit, watching as his vitals plummeted to nothing.

"Order 66 confirmed" the standing trooper attested into his vocoder unit.

"Excellent, now return to your previous assignment and guard the new clones until they are complete." Palpatine's voice returned to the trooper's helmet, dark and with a touch of glee, knowing full well that the Federation would not land troops on Kamino.

The two troopers stood and returned back through the landing pad awning and door, the door closing with a quick hiss. Several minutes passed, the rain coming down in sheets on the platform, the sea roiling beneath the entire complex, dark and malevolent. The Jedi master's crumpled body lay on the smooth decking, still, cold, motionless. Through the voilence of the storm that thundered all around the pad, the force remained calm and even after the troopers left. It was that calm that alerted the small, almost dormant conscience of Master Lao that all around him was deserted. He pulled his senses and body back to full strength and while he laid there, called upon the force to fix the damage to his body that the blaster bolt had caused. He focused intensely on the repairs to his body until all that remained was a small scar and a little pain.

Master Lao stood suddenly, lightsabre in hand and surveyed the scene with inhuman speed before depressing the remote canopy hatch on his wrist-com and once the canopy had opened fully, bound into the cockpit of his Jedi fighter in a single, sleek movement. His race, the Dashade, were already predisposed to unnatural grace and agility, being a Jedi only amplified these traits. He closed the canopy quickly and began the initiation sequence immediately. His astromech unit, R6-C3 scrolled a question across the screen in the cramped cockpit.

"I am unharmed, R6" Master Lao answered aloud. Another question appeared on the small monitor. "No, the shot did not hit any vital organs. I have already repaired the damage through the force. We need to get out of here quickly, so I am going to keep the fighter low until we get out of tracking range." The droid warbled as the craft lifted off of the pad and shot away, staying barely above the rise of the swells in the volatile ocean below them. The craft strafed low between the breakers for several clicks before angling skyward. The maelstrom of clouds above them gave way to the thin silver sheen of atmosphere before it disappeared completely to the vast empty space beyond that was the Kamino system. R6 warbled slightly. "I see them, R6. They are too far apart to be a threat to us. It is not like the Federation to be so unorganized in their blockades. The blockade of Taboo was much tighter than this." The lone fighter streaked through the void at high speed, vectoring between two cruisers who appeared dormant and alien, like long abandoned space stations whose lights still burned, but lacked any warmth. As the small diamond shaped fighter closed the gap, the astromech droid chirped softly a warning. "I see the fighters being deployed, but being this far away, we will have left them far behind before they can ever catch us."

The droid fighters closed the gap, angling to catch the nimble Jedi fighter, just as the fighters began to close within visual distance, though, the fighter vanished into hyperspace bound for Coruscant.

"I appreciate the update." Captain Ozzel acknowledged the young lieutenant who crisply turned on his heel to report back to the deck. The slightly greying Admiral turned and contemplated. He depressed the comm button on his console, the voice of a young corporal responding.

"Yes, sir?"

"Corporal, I want to know how long it would take a Jedi starfighter to get from Kamino to Coruscant at top hyperdrive speed. In fact, check the log from the Jedi temple and find out the specs on the fighter designated for a Jedi named Hodo'Lao. Find out what his hyperdrive capabilities are and let me know how soon he can enter the system."

"Acknowledged, sir." The young corporal's reply came, swift and sharp. Captain Ozzel turned in his chair, debating whether to report to Chancellor Palpatine or not, and decided that discretion was the better part of valor. A few minutes passed in Ozzel's thoughts when his comm button lit up, he answered.

"What have you to report, Corporal?"

"Sir, with the specific hyperdrive and engine outfitted on Master Hodo'Lao's starfighter, he could be here within six hours, give or take a few minutes." The corporal reported dutifully.

"How many minutes is a few corporal? I need specifics!" the Captain's voice rose slightly in volume.

"There is a projected variation of thirteen minutes and twenty-seven seconds either way from that estimate, Captain." The corporal reported back, looking over the data.

"Very well, inform Coruscant control to be on guard for the fighter, the Jedi are not to be welcomed back to Coruscant and any intrusion is to be met with grave force, Corporal. This order comes from Chancellor Palpatine himself."

"Yes, Captain." Clipped the corporal.

_Coruscant_

Three minutes and six seconds after the earliest possible time for the Jedi starfighter to return to Coruscant, it did. Coruscant Control began to hail the fighter, which refused to respond as it streaked towards Capitol City and the Jedi Temple.

"Allow the ship to land, but direct it towards a pad that is protected by an entire squadron of stormtroopers, and have some Chariots in the air for backup." Captain Ozzel ordered the operator at Coruscant Control. The fighter followed its course smoothly as the shield around Coruscant opened allowing the tiny ship to pass unhindered. As soon as it was in the protective barrier though, it was rocked by multiple tractor beams, which were applied simultaneously as two ion cannons struck the craft. The ship hadn't tried to avoid the shots, but fell limp into the hold of the tractor beams which set the craft down on the predesignated pad, where an entire regiment of stormtroopers poised with standard blasters, E-web blasters, while four Chariots covered the ship as the first squad of stormtroopers scrambled to the disabled fighter. They were about to plant the charges on the canopy hatches, when the sergeant of the squad peered into the canopy, just above eye-level. After a complete sweep, he turned and reported to the rest of the regiment.

"It's empty. The starfighter is empty."

If you've enjoyed this excerpt, read the continuing story at:

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